God the Father

=== Trinitarian Christianity === 
[[File:Shield-Trinity-Scutum-Fidei-English.svg|thumb|right|A depiction of the [[Trinity]] consisting of God the Father along with [[God the Son]] ([[Jesus]]) and [[God the Holy Spirit]]]]
To [[Trinity|Trinitarian]] Christians (which include [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], [[Oriental Orthodox]], [[Anglicans]], and most but not all [[Christian denomination|Protestant denominations]]), God the Father is not a separate God from [[God the Son]] (of whom Jesus is the [[incarnation]]) and the [[Holy Spirit]], the other [[Hypostasis (philosophy and religion)|hypostases]] of the [[Godhead (Christianity)|Christian Godhead]].<ref name=Bromo515 /><ref name=Oxf263 /><ref name=UCP>''Critical Terms for Religious Studies.'' Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1998. ''Credo Reference''. 27 July 2009</ref> In [[Eastern Orthodox theology]], God the Father is the ''arche'' or ''principium'' ("beginning"), the "source" or "origin" of both the Son and the Holy Spirit, and is considered the eternal source of the Godhead.<ref name=alan36 /> The Father is the one who eternally begets the Son, and the Father through the Son eternally breathes the Holy Spirit.<ref name=Veli70 /><ref name=alan36>Alan Richardson and John Bowden, ''The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology'' (1 January 1983) {{ISBN|0664227481}} p. 36</ref>

As a member of the Trinity, God the Father is one with, co-equal to, co-eternal, and [[Consubstantiality|consubstantial]] with the Son and the Holy Spirit, each Person being the one eternal God and in no way separated: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent.<ref name=Veli70 /> Because of this, the Trinity is beyond reason and can only be known by revelation.<ref name=Oxf263>Gilles Emery O. P. and Matthew Levering, ''The Oxford Handbook of the Trinity'' (27 October 2011) {{ISBN|0199557810}} p. 263</ref><ref name=VaticanReason>Catholic catechism at the Vatican web site, items: [https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p2.htm#242 242] [https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p2.htm#245 245] [https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p2.htm#237 237]</ref>

The Trinitarian concept of God the Father is not [[pantheism|pantheistic]] in that he is not viewed as identical to the universe or a vague notion that persists in it, but exists fully outside of creation, as its creator.<ref name=Bromo515 /><ref name=Kess68 /> He is viewed as a loving and caring God, a Heavenly Father who is active both in the world and in people's lives.<ref name=Bromo515>Geoffrey W. Bromiley, ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: E–J'' (March 1982) {{ISBN|0802837824}} pp. 515–516</ref><ref name=Kess68>John Koessler, ''God Our Father'' (13 September 1999) {{ISBN|0802440681}} p. 68</ref> He created all things visible and invisible in love and wisdom, and created man for his own sake.<ref name=Kess68 /><ref>Catholic Catechism items: [https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p6.htm#356 356] and [https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p4.htm#295 295] at the Vatican web site</ref>

The emergence of Trinitarian theology of God the Father in [[early Christianity]] was based on two key ideas: first the shared identity of the [[Yahweh]] of the [[Old Testament]] and the God of Jesus in the [[New Testament]], and then the self-distinction and yet the unity between Jesus and his Father.<ref name=Triglobal10>Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, ''The Trinity: Global Perspectives'' (17 January 2007) {{ISBN|0664228909}} pp. 10–13</ref><ref name=global169>William A. Dyrness, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Juan F. Martinez and Simon Chan, ''Global Dictionary of Theology'' (10 October 2008) {{ISBN|0830824545}} p. 169–171</ref> An example of the unity of Son and Father is [[s:Bible (American Standard)/Matthew#11:27|Matthew 11:27]]: "No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son", asserting the mutual knowledge of Father and Son.<ref name=Bromiley571>Geoffrey W. Bromiley, ''The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' 1988 {{ISBN|0802837859}} pp. 571–572</ref>

The concept of fatherhood of God does appear in the Old Testament, but is not a major theme.<ref name=Triglobal10 /><ref name=Veli37 /> While the view of God as the Father is used in the Old Testament, it only became a focus in the New Testament, as Jesus frequently referred to it.<ref name=Triglobal10 /><ref name=Veli37 /> This is manifested in the [[Lord's prayer]] which combines the earthly needs of daily bread with the reciprocal concept of forgiveness.<ref name=Veli37 /> And Jesus' emphasis on his special relationship with the Father highlights the importance of the distinct yet unified natures of Jesus and the Father, building to the unity of Father and Son in the Trinity.<ref name=Veli37>Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, ''The Doctrine of God: A Global Introduction'' 2004 {{ISBN|0801027527}} p. 37–41</ref>

The paternal view of God as the Father extends beyond Jesus to his disciples, and the entire Church, as reflected in the petitions Jesus submitted to the Father for his followers at the end of the  ''[[Farewell Discourse]]'', the night before [[crucifixion of Jesus|his crucifixion]].<ref name=RobN26>Robert C. Neville, ''Symbols of Jesus'' (4 February 2002) {{ISBN|0521003539}} pp. 26–27</ref> Instances of this in the Farewell Discourse are [[s:Bible (American Standard)/John#14:20|John 14:20]] as Jesus addresses the disciples: "I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you" and in [[s:Bible (American Standard)/John#17:22|John 17:22]] as he prays to the Father: "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one."<ref>Daniel B. Stevick, ''Jesus and His Own: A Commentary on John 13–17'' (29 April 2011) Eeardmans {{ISBN|0802848656}} p. 46</ref>